Mackrell referral has BGS Law travelling around the world!

Ten Holter the Dutch member recently referred a client to Paris-based BGS.

A Dutch subsidiary of a Brazilian steel corporation was summoned before the Paris commercial court in a case pending for a year in that jurisdiction. The purpose was to call in the steel company together with the other defendants on a liability issue in connection with an electric power plant engine failure which put New Caledonia in the dark for a few weeks. The claim was 13 million Euros.

The judge had appointed an expert in January to carry out investigations on the circumstances of the accident. Within 5 days from the judge handing the decision extending the expert’s mission BGS Law was able to travel urgently to exotic Noumea, a French territory in the Pacific to assist and represent the client at expertise meeting on site scheduled several months before.

The investigations lasted two days and aimed at determining the role of each of the parties: the engine supplier, the valve manufacturer and the client who supplied the steel to manufacture the valves.

The expert decided to ship the damaged engine to France and have it submitted to some extended lab tests, before handing his report, which will serve the basis for the court to make its decision on liability.

In short, it is a fascinating referral which shows how an MI member can unexpectedly find himself on the other side of the world to represent a client of another MI member.
 

Author: Hania GOUTIERRE
Firm: BGS Law

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